Many of us have heard about Geert Wilders, the Dutch parliamentarian currently on trial in Holland because he criticized Islam. It’s shocking to many that you could be charged with a hate crime for expressing an opinion, but such prosecutions are not unheard of in the Western world beyond American shores. After all, most nations have nothing tantamount to our First Amendment. But could such a thing happen in the land of the (mostly) free as well?

If a “human relations” task force in California has its way, the answer will be yes. Its victims are two Lancaster, Calif., city officials: Mayor R. Rex Parris and Councilman Sherry Marquez. Their sins? Parris told a group of Christian ministers, “We are growing Christian community — and don't let anybody shy away from that.” And Marquez posted quotations on her Facebook page from Muslim leaders encouraging adherents to win the world for Islam along with excerpts from the Bible that encourage Christians to defend themselves.

Mayor Parris had expressed his sentiments previously as well, during a State of the City address; this prompted a federal civil-rights complaint by the Council on American-Islamic Relations based on the separation-of-church-and-state principle. Now, while the mayor didn’t violate the the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause (properly understood), this isn’t surprising given how it is almost universally misinterpreted and misapplied. But now some are pushing the envelope and wish to do to freedom of speech what has already been done to freedom of religion. Jody Brown at OneNewsNow.com reports that “according to the Antelope Valley Press, the local human relations task force will convene on Monday evening [February 8] to discuss whether those remarks could potentially be ‘hate incidents.’ Darren Parker, chairman of the task force, tells the newspaper that if the mayor's comments are so deemed, ‘a complaint will be made to the [federal] Justice Department’ and to state and county district attorneys.”

Wow, let’s get this straight: In the “land of the free and home of the brave” you could conceivably be charged with a hate crime for expressing opinions and desires?

Don’t get me wrong, I doubt this effort will result in actual charges at this juncture. But the fact that some among us would even conceive of such a thing should send chills up any constitutional spine. Worse still, many other Americans are asleep at the wheel, as a perusal of the comments under Brown’s piece proves. The respondents got bogged down talking about religion in the public sphere, totally ignoring that speech in the public sphere is also now under assault. Understand, for instance, that the hate-speech police aim to silence all criticism of Islam — whether it emanates from religious or secular mouths.

This is why you should know that “hate speech” is but a euphemism for “expression the tolerance crowd just won’t tolerate” — meaning, anything they can’t refute in the arena of ideas. Yet, there is also a Trojan horse here, one of which most are unaware. I speak of the “local human relations task force.”

Understand that in Canada — where citizens have been prosecuted for criticizing Islam and homosexuality — the inquisitor entities are called “human rights commissions” or “human rights tribunals.” Of course, the term “human rights (or relations)” sounds like something no one should object to, just as hate speech sounds like something everyone should object to. That’s the whole idea: People won’t knowingly embrace tyranny, so you must cloak it in an appealing guise. But here’s why I mention these bureaucracies:

They have proliferated in our nation as well.

Don’t believe me? Just check your county government, as odds are they have already instituted a human rights commission. Oh, this doesn’t mean they’ll be arresting your politically incorrect tongue today or tomorrow. After all, no precedent justifying that has yet been established in American jurisprudence. But once one is (I explained here the process by which we may lose our freedom of speech), all bets are off. Because with human rights commissions peppering our nation, the mechanism for tyranny is already in place. The thought police will be able to hit the ground running — or, perhaps I should say, chasing.  

Then we will find out that some people’s conception of “human rights” sounds a lot more like human wrongs.

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Michael Delavar said:

This is dangerous, and must be watched and fought against As a city council member, I made a speech during session, quoting the Declaration of Independence. (I said the line about being endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.) During the public comment portion at the end of the session, a person chastised me for mentioning God while in session or in the public eye. "I thought we had a separation of church and state in this country," she said. It has come to the point that the enemies of the church make sure to make their objections known instantly to true free speech. We are far from where we need to be.

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February 07, 2010 | url
Votes: +110

muslimpoxbyebye said:

islam is vomit "An Islamic regime must be serious in every field," explained Ayatollah Khomeini. "There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humour in Islam. There is no fun in Islam." ....he could have spared the extra words and just stated the fact "islam is s**t." Islam is a direct threat to being cool. This is the most dangerous part of this insane out-of-control death cult pretending to be some sort of religion. Pure mental poison is what islam is . has to go."Qur'an…an accursed book…So long as there is this book there will be no peace in the world." – William Gladstone (1809-189, Prime Minister of Great Britain 1868 -1894 Islam is based on three fundamental principles: 1. Stealing 2. Killing, and 3. Lying Islam is fascism. ISLAM NEEDS TO BE UN-INVENTED NOW NOW / ANYONE WHO LEAVES ISLAM IS A THINKER AND A SELF SCIENTIST. Islam is bad manners. Period.

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February 07, 2010
Votes: +74

Ozark said:

	Islam is an acult not a religion Islam is so dangerous. Christians must make a stand against this occult. The One and True God is with the Christian people not Islam, not at all. We must stop them.
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February 08, 2010
Votes: +60

Don Sharpe said:

	... Want to see what an out of control human rights commission looks like? youtube 'Ezra Levant' and watch his videotape session before both the Alberta Human (so called) Rights Commission. 'Truth is not a Defence'
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February 08, 2010 | url
Votes: +20

Becca said:

	Most don't realize..... Most don't realize that when they say things like, "I thought we had a separation of church and state in this country," they are only showing their ignorance. Sad but true, that these ignorant people are influencing policy and law-making.
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February 08, 2010
Votes: +39

Marla said:

... It is clear that "open-mindedness" has been re-defined as being open to anything except Christianity. I do not want to stop anyone from having the right to free speech, no matter what the opinion is, because I am convinced that in a fair representation, the truth will overcome a lie. The reason the whole politically correct arena has formed is that many have chosen to be deaf to the truth and are trying to deafen everyone else as well. We need to hold on as long as possible to free speech.

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February 09, 2010
Votes: +48

ed allen said:

the first amendment when this amendment is raped by our elected officals we will go to war with our selves once again. notice i said when not if. it is going to happen and when it does i will be one of the first to join forces with the freedom fighters. we will start in dc then go to our own states and take out all politions and start over.all that are for that kind of government will die, or leave. and this will be gods country again.

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February 09, 2010
Votes: +35

David R. said:

	P.C. "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" means, ALLWAYS having to say your sorry!
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February 09, 2010
Votes: +19

Miss Vinay Duggal said:

	Deported Today... Islam is a religion as is Sufiism....but with all due respect to ALL foreigners in America (and their children)...ANYone who arrived in the US after 1973 must be deported today...no questions.
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February 09, 2010
Votes: +12

RosanneG said:

Stop buying the PC's garbage It doesn't surprise me that those who don't know the Constitution cling to their "political correctness". I don't believe that separation of church and state is written in the Constitution but there are many groups & individuals like aetheists, Madelyn Murray O'Hair, ACLU, AFLCIO, etc. interpreting what they want while good Americans suffer for their prejudice against God. People like that have gotten so far from the intentions of the Founding Fathers, that they are causing the destruction of American freedom. I pray to my God that those anti-Christs are defeated in order to save our nation.

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February 09, 2010
Votes: +31

Marat M. Bandemer, Jrl. said:

Mr. I have made it a solemn vow to be as politically incorrect as is possible. I am American, a patriot, a Christian, and a Constitutionalist. I deal in honesty and truth, neither of which can be refuted or denied. Having lived more than three quarters of a century, I have watched as my country has lost its identity as the bastion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Being unwilling to compromise my convictions, and to be intimidated by those intent upon our destruction I shall not waver one bit. Instead of standing tall and proud, we kow-tow and apologize for who we are. This is a disgrace. God Bless America.

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February 09, 2010
Votes: +41

Joe Chernicoff said:

A Tool of the "I Don't Want to Know" Croed Labeling speech - oral or written - as a hate crime is one of the easiest tools of the cognitive dissonant. Like the over-used phrase - racially prejudiced - there is no need to deal with facts. Those who refuse to examine their ideas and/or ideology find it easy to label those with whom they disagree or, in actuality, totally dislike (hate), essentially because too many people feel intimidated by those labels. Rather than stand up and name those hate mongers for what they are, the weak and fearful join their enemies (a kind of Stockholm Syndrome) in disabusing those who speak the truth, or as close to the truth as possible. Unfortuately, we are surrounded by too many weak minded, "nattering nabobs of negativism", as Spiro Agnew so succinctly put it. Fortunately, most Americans are finally beginning to understand how they are being snookered by the friends of our enemies.

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February 09, 2010 | url
Votes: +25

Big Love said:

	Of Course Yes, unapproved speech will become a hate crime. The solution is in the states. The people (citizens of the states, not the nation) should demand heir governor and a.g. impeach any federal employee who tries to enforce federal speech restrictions, unless the citizens of the state have approved the federal legislation through their state legislatures.
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February 09, 2010
Votes: +19

JIM said:

	... IF ISLAM IS SO GOOD AND PEACEFUL WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO KILL ALL WHO DO NOT BELIEVE ISLAM.
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February 09, 2010
Votes: +32

rogers said:

	... I don't understand the up or down and report abuse. Please explain.
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February 09, 2010
Votes: +5

Idania Fraginals said:

Ms. I have notice that anyone can speak horrors about christianity, painters, paint offensive paints about Christ, cinematography director portrait Jesus as a pervert and no one has been accused of a "hate crime" Now a days Muslims are "sacred" WHY? They got to this country like yesterday and they are prevailing, WHY? Despite what the President said, this country was built over Christian foundations, all the ones that fought for this country in the independence was were Christian, there was not one Muslim. So why everybody is free to offend Christ and Christian with impunity and talking about Muslims is a hate crime? I really do not know what is going on..

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February 09, 2010
Votes: +26

MalikTous said:

Common errors, common government overreaction The main problem with Islam (the name translates as 'peace') is that there are a lot of extremists who either are illiterate or don't bother reading the entire Qu'ran. Islam is at about where Christianity was some 600 years ago, sending deluded extremists off on fraudulent 'Jihads' - much like Christianity waged war with other faiths. The same god is supposed to be common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; waging war in that god's name is an insult to either of the three faiths. The extremists (including pseudo-Islamic insurgents like Hamas or al-qaeda, bogus Christians like the filthy medic-murdering anti-abortion extremists, and other murderous lunatics citing religion as their justification for heresy) are outright heretics. True followers of these faiths would engage those they have conflicts with in sports, not war! Government is often the cause, not a solution, of problems among various faiths and civil groups. We need to get government out of our private lives, downsized, and restricted to those actions actually authorised by the Constitution. When alien influences including too much religion intrude into government, we get such fraud as thoughtcrime Orwell-style, arresting people for opinions not expressed by violence, and tyranny. We should collaborate to end such abuses of human rights immediately, striking down all the garbage done by excess government and restoring our nation to its proper greatness!

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February 09, 2010 | url
Votes: +2

Mark said:

politicial correctness Hey, as an American, politicial corectness is speaking my mind and standing up for what I believe. that is what America is. you people who dont like it, leave, go now, i will help you pack. find somewhere else to spill your garbage, and destroy a country, if it is a fight you want, just bring it..........can't remember who said it, but we either hang together, or we will surely hang seperately.... Nathan Hale, Give me liberty, or give me death... and me, not with out a fight

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February 09, 2010 | url
Votes: +11

Ruth said:

Down with political correct nonsense! It states in the Bible that there will be wars and rumors of wars...there will always be fighting somewhere because we must be willing to stand for what we believe in. There will always be those that have the opposite opinion, thus the ones we fight. Anything worth anything is worth fighting for! That said, no one wants to have to fight, that is unless you are a radical group, government or country like there are in this world...all the more reason that America MUST shut our borders, check visas, stop infiltrators and shore up our military to be strong and ready. However, in all truth we are becoming divided and turning against each other, just as the enemies want and will more than likely be fighting each other in another Civil war...what a terrible thought..but it will happen unless this political clap trap is not stopped! Weakness has overtaken some and they are hell bent on distroying what our Forefathers built! Well, if they think that there are not Americans who are patriots and will stand up and fight for what is the truth of this nation; they are idiots! Of course, before we get the chance to put things right here, there are plenty plotting right now to end America anyway...many enemies, other than the politically correct nut cases that are right here waiting to do us all as much harm as possible. Muslims are not our friends...read the Koran, they pledge to kill all who do not believe as they do....whew if that is not craziness nothing is...remember the Crusades? Look at what they do now...sneaking in the US and building Mosques, trying to get everyone to accept them to be the same as we are...they most certainly are not! Anyone that thinks so is part of the problem...and folks, the US has more problems right now than we can handle! Banding together, making this the UNITED States of America once again is the solution and to realize that we will all loose this nation if we do not pull together! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!

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February 10, 2010
Votes: +11

Angel said:

NEVER I will NEVER kow-tow to this. They have taken our freedoms and perverted them. Freedom of speech means you can cuss in front of whomever...right? It also means you have to respect a foreign god...right? Yet we cannot speak of the one true God Almighty and my Jesus who saves? They have taken freedom to the point where you can dress as perversely as you want in public and it is okay yet you cannot speak of the Lord in the public square. Well, I will never stop defending OUR rights as Christians. I will never be silent about the fact that Jesus is the only way to salvation. I love my Lord. I am a born AMERICAN under the constitution that has afforded me my freedoms. I was not an import from a Muslim country. If they are offended...GO HOME! If anyone is offended...MOVE to another country! Know the constitution. Separation of church and state has nothing to do with mentioning God in any political arena.

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February 10, 2010
Votes: +9

Larry Taylor said:

	Politically incorrect The first amendment restricts the government, not the people. You can say any dang thing you want as long as it isn't libelous. The problem falls upon the objector to determine his offense, and prove it applies only to him. or his actions. Oh and by the way, there is only one race on this planet. the Human race. anything else is ethnic association.
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February 10, 2010 | url
Votes: +1

Miss Vinay Duggal said:

	CAIR and the Muslim Mafia To Idania Fraginals: The answer to your question is CAIR...Council for American Islamic Relations. This org is responsible for alot of 'dirty' lawsuit proceeds getting into the hands of too many anti-Americans both in America and abroad. EVERYONE: be sure to read 'Muslim Mafia' by Paul Sperry today!
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February 18, 2010
Votes: +2